Playing the game
by JC HOYT
Summary: Let the games begin!
1. Default Chapter

Lily was sitting at her desk, staring out the window at nothing particular, lost in thought. Jordan walked by and glanced into the office as she passed, noticing Lily's furrowed brow and troubled expression. She stopped in her tracks and backed up to come and see what was bothering her friend. She stood in the doorway for a minute, watching Lily and trying to get some idea of what could be bothering her. Lily suddenly got the feeling someone was watching her and glanced up.  
  
"Oh hey Jordan, sorry I didn't see you. How long have you been standing there?"  
  
"Just a minute, looks like you were pretty preoccupied thinking about something"  
  
"Yeah, I guess I was" she nodded, her mind suddenly returning to what she had been thinking about.  
  
"Oh, sorry Jordan, did you need something?"  
  
"No, actually I was just passing by your door and saw you in here and you just looked like you might need someone to talk to"  
  
"I'm fine really" she insisted half- heartedly.  
  
"Come on Lily, you can talk to me. You look really upset, I only want to help. You might feel better if you talk about it" Jordan said moving to sit on the couch.  
  
Lily considered it for a minute. "Okay, but you have to promise you wont tell anyone" Jordan raised her eyebrows in an are you kidding me? Do you really expect ME not to tell anyone? expression. Lily immediately understood her expression and conceded to "Okay, just don't let this get back to Garrett okay?" Jordan nodded. Lily joined her on the couch as Jordan watched her, ready to listen.  
  
Lily took a breath. "I don't know if I should really be talking about this, but it is bothering me so I would like to get an outside opinion"  
  
"Okay Lily, I can probably do that" Jordan assured.  
  
"Garrett and I kissed" she blurted out.  
  
"Oh, wow really? Wait, isn't that a good thing?" Jordan asked somewhat confused. She knew Lily still had feelings for Garrett but there was obviously something wrong.  
  
"Well it might be, I don't know. I don't know what's going on, it just happened once and we haven't talked about it since"  
  
"Well that just makes him a typical guy doesn't it? Garrett's not really the type to openly show emotion anyway, that's probably all this is. I'm sure if you just talk to him in private, away from all the prying eyes and ears of this place you'll get some answers"  
  
"Okay, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try right? I just figured since he hadn't mentioned it he was hoping I wouldn't bring it up either. He kissed me though, why would he do that if he didn't really want to?" Lily whined.  
  
"Lily, honey, you're obsessing. You're going to drive yourself crazy worrying about this and I can answer for him, so just talk to him"  
  
"Okay I will, thanks Jordan"  
  
"No problem Lily, good luck!" she encouraged. 


	2. The setup

Later that night Jordan was bartending at the Pogue. Nigel, Bug and Woody were all there keeping her company. Nigel caught sight of something new hanging behind the bar and decided it would be fun to call everyone's attention to it.  
  
"New picture Max?" Nigel asked trying to rouse some excitement or at the very least embarrass Jordan.  
  
Jordan turned to see what he was pointing at and everyone else's eyes followed accordingly.  
  
It was a picture of Woody and Jordan dancing together at the Pogue. Jordan's arms were wrapped around his back and she was staring up him smiling happily. Woody's arms were wrapped snugly around Jordan's waist and he was looking back down at her lovingly. Both Woody and Jordan continued to stare at the picture after everyone else had lost interest. They were remembering that night, how it had felt to hold each other like that and dance so close, oblivious to everything around them including Max's camera. Jordan stopped looking at the picture and cut her eyes to her dad, staring him down for having the audacity to put such a picture up without telling her, so that it would be pointed out without her even having seen it.  
  
"Don't look at me like that little girl, all I can say is that the camera doesn't lie" Max countered.  
  
Jordan turned back to the bar, hoping to sneak a look at Woody without him catching her looking but he was already staring at her when she turned to face him. Their eyes met briefly then she looked away, searching her bar customer's glasses to see who needed a refill. Woody sighed at his inability to hold her gaze and killed the rest of the whisky that remained in his glass. Max knowingly patted him on the shoulder and handed him a beer.  
  
Lily had entered the bar and was making her way towards her friends.  
  
"Hey Lily" Jordan called out, grateful for this new distraction.  
  
"Hey" she answered unenthusiastically. "I need a drink" Jordan started making her a Cosmopolitan.  
  
"So I guess there's really no need to ask how your little talk went" Bug said sympathetically.  
  
"Geez Jordan, you told them already?" Lily said, a little annoyed.  
  
"Of course she told them, you ought to know Jordan cant keep a secret Lily" Max interjected.  
  
"Thanks Dad" she huffed back.  
  
"Well I guess it wasn't really a secret anyway, now I guess it isn't anything at all" Lily sighed.  
  
Nigel pulled her closer to him and put his arm around her comfortingly. "What happened Luv?"  
  
She turned her drink up and swallowed it all in one sip as Jordan began to pour a second one.  
  
"Nothing happened, nothing at all. I tried to talk to him but I guess he didn't want to talk about it, he just blew me off saying he had to get somewhere" Lily answered sadly.  
  
"Maybe he really did have to be somewhere" Bug added hopefully.  
  
His enthusiasm was met by an annoyed eye roll from Lily.  
  
"I know what you need to do!" Jordan exclaimed excitedly, like a light bulb had suddenly clicked on in her head.  
  
"Oh no thanks Jordan, I'm not going to do anything. I tried talking to him and that didn't work. The ball is in his court now so if he wants to do something then he's going to have to be the one to make it happen" she said finishing up her second drink.  
  
"Well that's all very well and good Lily except that Dr. Macy is a man and we just don't think that complex. If you just leave this alone then nothing will happen, we men like to be chased" Nigel insisted.  
  
"Well that's too bad because chasing him is not what I had in mind" Jordan replied.  
  
"What then?" Woody asked, interested in her relationship plan.  
  
"Nothing makes a man figure out how he feels about a woman faster than bringing another guy into the picture. They always drag their feet until there's a little competition"  
  
Nigel and Bug looked at each other as if they were going to protest, then nodded in agreement.  
  
Woody frowned. "I don't think you should play games"  
  
"Well sometimes you have to Woody" Jordan shot back.  
  
"You shouldn't have to, you should just be honest about your feelings in the first place" He mumbled as he gazed into his beer as if searching for an answer in there.  
  
"Okay, let's do it" Lily finally agreed "Now what do I do?"  
  
"It just so happens I've got some cop friends coming in from L.A. this weekend, You can just hang out with them, nothing has to happen but when Garrett asks you about it don't confirm or deny anything, keep hi guessing. The key is getting him to think about it"  
  
They started plotting their newly devised plan. Woody just sat there dejectedly listening to their ruse. Nigel, Bug and Lily went to play a game of pool while perfecting their intended plan. Woody stayed behind, sick of hearing about their stupid plan.  
  
Max smiled sympathetically. It really got to him, seeing Woody like this, knowing how much he cared about Jordan and wishing he could make Jordan see what was so obvious to everyone else.  
  
Max leaned against the bar across from where Woody was sitting to talk to him.  
  
"Ya know son, Jordan's right, sometimes you do have to play the game"  
  
"What? Max I cant believe you agree with them" he said in disbelief.  
  
"I'm no talking about them Woody, I'm talking about you and Jordan"  
  
"Me and Jordan huh? Now there's a laugh" he said chuckling, obviously feeling the effects of the alcohol.  
  
"There is no me and Jordan Max, that is becoming painfully obvious. You saw the way she reacted to that picture" he said pointing at it. Max looked at the picture for a minute before answering.  
  
"Yes, I saw, but I also see the way she's looking at you in this picture, I saw how she smiled when she was in your arms that night with no one else around"  
  
Woody just shook his head "It doesn't matter" he said sadly, barely audible. He looked down at the bar.  
  
Max could see the hurt in his eyes he was trying do hard not to show.  
  
Max persisted. "Woody, everyone knows she cares about you, now you just need to make her see how much"  
  
"How can I do that?"  
  
"Easy, just play her game. If she thinks this is such a good idea then turn it around on her. Find a girl to hang out with and let her know you're hanging out with this girl, then when she wants to do something with you tell her you cant because you have plans."  
  
Woody half-smiled at the idea of giving her a taste of her own medicine.  
  
"I am getting a female partner soon, she and I went through the academy together, we're old friends. I'm sure she'd love to get in on this plan.and she's hot!" he added excitedly.  
  
"Well there you go, I don't think it will take long for the jealous bone to kick in" Max grinned.  
  
"Thanks Max" Woody beamed, leaving purposely without telling Jordan goodbye.  
  
Jordan saw him leave; she walked over to the bar. "Hey dad, everything okay with Woody?"  
  
"As far as I know, why wouldn't it be?"  
  
"I, uh, he just didn't say goodbye to me, he usually does that's all"  
  
Max just smiled, the wheels were already in motion. 


	3. Jessie

The next day Jordan's buddies arrived and came to the morgue to meet her. She introduced Lily to everyone and they immediately hit if off, she was already one of the gang. They hung out for a while, talking and making plans for later. Garrett saw them, wondering who the guys were and feeling a slight twinge of jealousy as he watched Lily laugh at someone the guy sitting next to her had said. He was sitting too close. Garrett looked him over; He was a young guy with muscles and a big smile. "Great" he thought He cleared his throat to make his presence known.  
  
"Oh hey Garrett" Lily said, looking up smiling. "Didn't see you there" she added purposely.  
  
"So who are your friends Lily?" he asked staring down the guy closest to her.  
  
"These are Jordan's friends from L.A., They're detectives she worked with out there, I'm just getting to know them, they're going to be in town for a while" They made casual but tense introductions then Garrett excused himself hastily.  
  
"What's his deal?"  
  
Lily just shook her head then smiled in triumph. Jordan saw this and winked at her from across the room.  
  
Meanwhile, Woody had met up with Jessie. They went to lunch to talk and catch up on old times and fill each other in on what they were doing now.  
  
"So what ever happened with you and that training officer you were hooking up with in the academy?"  
  
"Actually, we're getting married this fall"  
  
"Really? Wow, congratulations, who would have thought? I thought for sure you were going to get him fired"  
  
"How bout you Woody? Has that baby face and those pretty blue eyes gotten you a girl yet?"  
  
"I don't have her but I'm working on it, actually I was hoping you could help me with that"  
  
"Me? How so?"  
  
"It's stupid really, we have a strange relationship and it would take hours to explain, but she has this theory that nothing makes you realize your feelings for someone like bringing someone else into the picture, a little competition"  
  
"So you want me to parade around like your little prom date?"  
  
"Hey it's a compliment, it means I think you're hot" he grinned.  
  
"Why thank you Hoyt, now let's go make your girl jealous" she said grinning and taking his arm.  
  
They went to the Pogue, he was sure Jordan would already be there with her friends.  
  
He felt a stab of intense jealousy himself when he saw Jordan there playing pool with one of the guys, he was leaning over her, helping her with her shot. Jordan didn't need any help with her shot, she had sure kicked his ass plenty of times.  
  
"Guess that's her huh?" Jessie asked watching the jealousy flicker in his eyes.  
  
"Yeah, that's her" he answered solemnly, directing her towards a table.  
  
"Gotta hand it to ya Woody, You don't go for the easy ones, every guy in here is checking her out"  
  
"Great, thanks, that makes me feel better" he pouted.  
  
"Don't worry Wood, she's not looking at anybody but you, well and me, but she doesn't seem too happy to see me"  
  
He smiled, wanting desperately to see how she was reacting to seeing him with someone else.  
  
Jordan had caught sight of him coming in and was about to go over and say hi then she noticed he had company. It was a girl, wait. what girl? Damn! She's pretty too, who was she? Were they on a date? Oh God, breathe Jordan breathe. She watched as Max made his way over to greet them. Oh come on, this is too much!  
  
"Hey Woody" Max greeted him happily.  
  
"Hi Max, this is Jessie, my new partner. Jessie, this is Jordan's father Max, a former Boston cop and now the owner of this place" Max sat down with them and talked for a while, mostly cop talk and about Jordan.  
  
"Well I better get back behind that bar, it was nice meeting you dear, hope to see you back in here. By the way, you guys are doing great, Jordan's practically got steam coming out of her ears"  
  
Jessie raised an eyebrow. "Her dad knows?" she asked surprised.  
  
"Actually it was his idea"  
  
"He must really like you then, if he would go to such lengths to get you and his daughter together"  
  
"Yeah, I think he likes me" Woody smiled. "He also knows how I feel about her and he knows I'd be good for her, bring a little calm to the storm"  
  
"You really love her don't you?" Jessie smiled.  
  
He just looked at her shyly without answering, his cheeks growing redder by the second.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you, it's just you get this big silly grin on your face when you talk about her"  
  
Jordan was watching them closely, what's with all the goofy smiles?  
  
Woody was still smiling at what Jessie had said when he looked up to find Jordan standing there.  
  
"Hey Jordan" he said casually.  
  
"Hi Woody"  
  
"Oh Jordan, This is my, uh, well this is Jessie"  
  
"Oh hi, how do you know Woody? I don't think he's mentioned you" Jessie said coolly.  
  
Jordan just nodded, obviously wounded. Woody knew he's scored a direct hit as he watched her excuse herself and walk slowly back to her friends, looking over her shoulder once with a hurt expression. He suddenly felt horrible and almost stood up to follow her, but Jessie stopped him.  
  
"Don't Woody, you've got her right where you want her, let her sweat a while"  
  
Woody and Jessie left, arousing Jordan's suspicions and damn near driving her crazy. Her friends had left and she and Lily stayed behind.  
  
"You okay Jordan? You've been kind of quiet"  
  
Jordan looked up to see Garrett walking in the bar.  
  
"I guess this is my chance to make him jealous huh?" Lily said excitedly.  
  
"Yeah, guess so" Jordan mumbled.  
  
"What's wrong Jordan? This was your idea remember?"  
  
"Yeah, I remember Lily, but I changed my mind. You shouldn't play games with him, just tell him how you feel before it's too late"  
  
"Too late?" Lily asked confused.  
  
"Yeah, if you keep playing these kid's games one day you'll find that there's no one left to play with"  
  
Garrett had made his way over to them. "Hey Jordan, um Lily, can I talk to you?"  
  
Jordan just looked her straight in the eye as if she were willing her to just avoid the games and tell Garrett the truth about her feelings. Lily nodded in understanding of their unspoken code and followed Garrett over to a corner table where they could talk in private and say what needed to be said.  
  
Jordan laid her head against one arm on the bar and sighed heavily. Max smiled tenderly at his daughter.  
  
"Something on your mind honey?"  
  
"Woody" she admitted  
  
"Oh yeah? That wouldn't have anything to do with him being here with Jessie tonight would it?" Max asked, smiling to himself, already knowing the answer to his question.  
  
"Why did I have to be my usual self? Why do I have to be all stubborn all the time?"  
  
"What are you talking about Jordan?" Max asked playing dumb.  
  
"He was right here in front of me this whole time, just waiting for me to give him a chance and even though I've known how I feel about him for a while now, I still wouldn't tell him. Now there's a Jessie!" she whined, slamming her head down against her crossed arms.  
  
"Well maybe it's time you took your own advice" Max said motioning over to where Garrett and Lily sat; now holding hands. Jordan smiled at the two of them together.  
  
"If only it were that easy," she pouted.  
  
"It's easier than you think Jordan, easier than you think" Max said hugging her and ushering her to the door in the hopes that she would go to Woody and confess her feelings. 


	4. Game, set, match

Woody had dropped Jessie off then drove around aimlessly, not wanting to go home. He found himself in front of Jordan's apartment but her Explorer wasn't there. Of course it wasn't there, she's out having fun with her friends, not moping around like he was. He gave up and decided to go home. When he got to the front steps of his building he saw someone sitting there in the pouring rain. He instinctively put his hand on his gun. Wait, was that? "Jordan?" he called out and hurried over to her. He took her hands in his face to make sure she was all right.  
  
"Jordan? Are you okay?" he asked worried. "Come on, let's go inside"  
  
He got her inside and pulled her wet coat off of her. She still hadn't said anything. He kissed her forehead gently.  
  
"I'm gonna make you a hot bath and we'll throw your wet clothes in the dryer okay?" She nodded and he went and made her a bath and got her some clean towels then sent her in to her bath. He changed into a T-shirt and adidas pants and grabbed one of his sweatshirts for her.  
  
"Hey, feel better?" he asked when she came out.  
  
"A little" she answered coming over and sitting beside him He watched her curiously.  
  
"What's up Jordan? Do you want to talk?"  
  
"I, uh, well let's just say I was surprised to see you with Jessie tonight" His heart began beating faster as he heard her say this to him.  
  
"Yeah? Why is that?"  
  
"I just thought that you, I mean we, I just hope that Jessie has the good sense to know what she's got" He just watched her.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" She stared back at him, then looked down.  
  
"Nothing Woody, just forget it" He didn't want to push her to say more but he knew if he didn't then it might never get said.  
  
"No Jordan" he said running his right hand across her cheek. "Tell me" he said, pleading with his eyes for her to say what she was feeling.  
  
"I wish I had known what I had, or could have had when I still had the chance" He narrowed his eyes at her.  
  
"Okay. what does that mean?"  
  
"It means I'm in love with you Woody!" she shouted. "But it's not like that matters now"  
  
"How could that not matter?" he asked calmly, trying desperately to control his emotions. She had said that she loved him and he thought his heart might burst right out of his chest. He wanted to take her in his arms and tell her how much he loved her but he needed more, he needed to know she was sure.  
  
"It doesn't matter because you're with Jessie now!" She said turning away.  
  
"Jordan" he said touching her shoulder and turning her towards him. "Jessie is just a friend"  
  
"She is?" she asked hopefully, wiping a tear away. "Wait, why didn't you just tell me that?" she asked, pissed off.  
  
"Somebody told me the best way to find out how someone feels about you is to create a little competition" He grinned.  
  
She smiled back at him, she couldn't really be mad at him for doing exactly what she had done. "Okay, you suck!" she said playfully smacking him in the arm.  
  
"Yeah, but you love me" he said happily, his bright grin covering his face.  
  
"Yeah I do" she admitted.  
  
He leaned over and kissed her gently. He pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her neck, taking in her sweet smell.  
  
"Guess that makes us even because I'm in love with you too" he whispered into her ear.  
  
"Well we're not keeping score, I'm done with the games" He looked at her seriously.  
  
"How come?"  
  
"Because I already won" she smiled as she kissed him again. 


End file.
